Crypto Morning News: Bitcoin Dips to $93K as Fed Cut Doubts and Oil Shock Rattle Risk Appetite

Key Takeaways:

Ukraine’s strike on Russia’s Novorossiysk oil hub briefly halted exports equal to 2% of global supply before loadings resumed, easing immediate supply fears.
Federal Reserve officials signaled resistance to another rate cut in December, prompting markets to sharply scale back expectations of further easing.
U.S. equities traded cautiously while gold climbed above $4,000 and oil slipped, reflecting mixed sentiment across commodities and stock markets.
Bitcoin fell toward $93K as crypto sentiment deteriorated into “extreme fear,” with major tokens extending losses.

Crypto Morning News: Geopolitics & Market Sentiment

On November 17, 2025, markets showed a cautious tone as investors reacted to fresh geopolitical risks from the Russia–Ukraine conflict, shifting expectations for U.S. rate cuts, and renewed scrutiny of stretched technology valuations.

Russia’s Black Sea energy infrastructure moved back into focus after Ukraine carried out a missile and drone strike on Novorossiysk, the country’s largest export hub in the region.

The attack damaged two oil berths and forced a temporary halt to crude and product exports from both Novorossiysk and the nearby Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal, briefly disrupting around 2.2 million barrels per day, or roughly 2% of global supply.

However, loadings resumed shortly after, easing fears of a prolonged outage and lowering the risk that Russia would be forced to shut wells in West Siberia, which would have reduced supply to global markets.

In Asia, Indonesia’s financial regulator said it plans to gradually raise the minimum free float requirement for listed companies from 7.5% to 25% in a bid to increase liquidity and bring the local market closer to regional standards.

On the economic front, Federal Reserve officials turned more cautious about the prospect of another interest-rate cut in December.

Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid, Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, and Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan all signaled they are uncomfortable with the idea of further easing, noting that inflation remains elevated and is not yet moving convincingly toward the Fed’s 2% target.

Logan said she would find it “hard to support” another cut without clearer signs that inflation is falling faster or that the labor market is weakening more noticeably.

At the same time, the Fed’s most dovish member, Adriana Miran, argued that current data still justify additional support, reflecting a meaningful divide inside the central bank.

The shift comes as the U.S. government prepares to release a backlog of economic data following the 43-day shutdown that ended on November 12, meaning investors and policymakers will need to digest several weeks of missed reports in a compressed window.

Reacting to these developments, Equity markets were mixed. The S&P 500 slipped slightly, the Dow posted a larger decline, and the Nasdaq finished marginally higher.

Volatility picked up, with the VIX touching its highest level in about a month as investors questioned whether the artificial intelligence rally still has enough momentum.

Meanwhile, oil prices slipped despite the Novorossiysk disruption, as traders were reassured by the rapid resumption of exports.

Gold continued to climb, trading above $4,000 an ounce as investors sought protection against geopolitical risks and uncertainty over monetary policy.

In Crypto, sentiment weakened sharply across digital assets.

Bitcoin fell toward $93K, down nearly 2%, marking its lowest level in months. Ethereum slipped to around $3,075, and Solana and Binance Coin also recorded sharp declines.

The Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index dropped into “extreme fear” territory with a reading near 10, reflecting risk aversion, ETF outflows, and liquidations of leveraged positions.